May 9, 2003 – Tourism Commissioner Pamela Richards has been appointed chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization's Air Transportation Services Committee, Government House announced in a release on Friday.
The release also said Richards was elected CTO first vice chair at the 25th annual Caribbean Tourism Conference, held in the Bahamas last fall.
And, it said, she will host the 26th annual conference in the Virgin Islands, in October. The gathering will bring travel industry leaders, travel writers and "hundreds of travel agents" together to meet with "the Caribbean's leading tourism officials to discuss relevant issues that affect the travel industry," it said.
The membership of the Barbados-based CTO comprises Caribbean governments and private sector entities including airlines, cruise lines and the Puerto Rico-based Caribbean Hotel Association.
According to the release, Richards upon her election as CTO vice chair said that she would provide guidance in developing strategies to enhance relationships with the CTO's airline partners. "Expanding airlift to the region and strengthening our existing relationships with airline carriers have always been a part of our tourism strategies for the U.S. Virgin Islands," she said.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull stated that he is pleased with Richards' "progress in revitalizing our tourism promotion and her ability to successfully keep the U.S. Virgin Islands in the forefront nationally and internationally as the Caribbean destination of choice." He said that "during this time of local and national economic hardship," Richards has been "able to maintain the territory's leadership role in the Caribbean region."
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